Peeping Tom

FADE IN:

EXT. A DESERTED STREET - NIGHT

LONG SHOT of the solitary figure of a WOMAN standing

professionally alone at the end of the street.

It is a bright, still night. We can HEAR the Woman whistling

'Stardust' merrily to herself.

CAMERA TRACKS around her. A Man's footsteps are overlaid.

We HEAR the Man start to whistle 'Stardust' under his breath -

haltingly at first, then in time with the Woman.

As we approach, she glances at us over her shoulder - then

turns round for a better look.

Her whistling stops - so, at the same moment, does the

man's.

CLOSE SHOT of DORA - a plump, attractive brunette - still

young enough to need two glances at the customers.

She smiles at us - and is pleased with the reception. She

hesitates for a long moment, weighing us up carefully...

and then - half defiantly, half expecting to be laughed

at.

DORA:

It'll be two quid...

Evidently we have two quid.

She beams with relief - throws her fur over her shoulders,

jerks her head towards the right - and sets off.

CAMERA TRACKS after her. Overlaid is the sound of the

man's footsteps.

Dora resumes her whistling. So, under his breath, does the

man who is following her.

EXT. A DESERTED STREET - NIGHT

A wider street than the last - but just as empty.

Dora sways her way towards a small house. CAMERA FOLLOWS

at a respectful distance.

CAMERA PANS from Dora's hips to an overflowing dustbin.

CLOSE SHOT of a man's hand throwing something into the

dustbin. It is an empty packet marked Kodak Film. CAMERA

PANS to Dora's house. It stands next to a chemist shop.

Dora climbs the few steps which lead to her front door -

glances round at us encouragingly - then unlocks the door.

INT. HALLWAY OF DORA'S HOUSE - NIGHT

She switches on a light - and hurries up a flight of stairs.

CAMERA TRACKS after her.

She changes her tune to 'Goodnight Sweetheart'... and so -

under his breath - does the Man who is following her.

A woman with hair like a two-toned car comes down the

stairs, winks at Dora - looks at us for a moment with great

curiosity... winks... then passes out of camera.

Dora reaches the landing - we are close behind her.

INT. LANDING OF DORA'S HOUSE - NIGHT

Dora unlocks the door of her room - and goes inside.

INT. DORA'S ROOM - NIGHT

She switches on the light, throws her fur onto a chair,

lights the gas fire then turns round.

CLOSE SHOT of Dora. She holds out her hand-smiling.

And suddenly. There is a gentle whirring purring sound.

CAMERA HOLDS ON Dora - she is staring at something with

great curiosity.

It turns quickly to bewilderment - and the bewilderment to

fear. She steps back from CAMERA - but CAMERA won't have

it.

Dora is now staring at something in horror - she opens her

mouth to scream - a shadow falls across her face.

The sound purrs on.

FADE OUT:

FADE IN:

BLACK AND WHITE FILM SEQUENCE

The solitary figure of Dora standing professionally alone

at the end of a street. WE SEE her turn towards CAMERA -

and smile at us.

We are watching her on a 16mm screen - projected in BLACK

AND WHITE.

CAMERA PULLS BACK to show the surround in natural colour.

INT. MARK'S ROOM - NIGHT

A darkened room in natural COLOUR. The movie screen images

are in BLACK AND WHITE.

We can SEE the back of a Man's head as he bends intently

over a projector. He is watching Dora on the screen. He is

breathing quickly.

We see Dora's hips waggling their way home.

The Man raises his head, so that we cannot see the screen.

When he lowers it again, we see the Woman with the two-

toned hair winking at Dora... then we see Dora throwing

her fur onto a chair - and turning towards us.

WE SEE her staring at something in bewilderment... then

backing away from CAMERA in fear.

WE HEAR the Man breathing as if at the end of a very long

race.

As Dora opens her mouth to scream, and a shadow falls across

her face - the title:

PEEPING TOM:

Blots out what is happening to her.

OTHER CREDITS FOLLOW... behind them we can see Dora's hands

pushing something away.

Before the DIRECTOR'S CREDIT:

CUT TO:

EXT. A PARK - NIGHT

It is very dark.

CLOSE SHOT of a stack of deck chairs.

Two forms behind it - a MAN'S and a WOMAN'S.

They are intertwined and motionless... suddenly a brilliant

shaft of light is trained onto them.

Overlaid is a gentle, whirring sound.

CAMERA PANS quickly to a nearby tree.

CLOSE SHOT of the lens of a cine-camera - the motor

purring... a blinding spotlight.

CAMERA PANS to the couple - the whirring of the camera is

overlaid.

The Man leaps up - shielding his eyes against the light.

He advances towards the tree.

MAN:

Hey, you peeping...

The spotlight goes out. There is the sound of footsteps

running away � and the night is at peace again.

And now WE SEE who DIRECTED the picture.

DISSOLVE TO:

LONG SHOT. AMBULANCE - DAY

It is standing in the roadway outside Dora's house.

WE SEE it through the finder of a small cine-camera.

EXT. STREETS BY DORA'S HOUSE - DAY

A crowd has gathered outside the house - and we are watching

them from a corner of the street (ALWAYS THROUGH THE FINDER-

MATTE).

WE SEE several Policemen holding back the crowd as two

Ambulance Men hurry into the house, carrying an empty

stretcher.

Gentle, whirring sound is overlaid.

WE SEE children staring curiously into the empty ambulance -

and a group of Women talking excitedly to a Reporter.

CLOSE SHOT of a SMALL MAN looking at us curiously as he

approaches (FILLING THE SCREEN WITHIN THE MATTE).

SMALL MAN:

What paper are you from?

The finder is lowered.

CLOSE SHOT of a Young Man (MARK) sighting a cine-camera.

He lowers the camera - and turns politely to his

interrogator.

He seems to have slight difficulty informing his words.

MARK:

I beg your pardon?

SMALL MAN:

What paper are you from?

Mark smiles at him pleasantly.

MARK:

The Observer.

The Ambulance Men come out of the house carrying the

stretcher... there is a body on it covered by a sheet.

Mark raises his cine-camera and photographs them. He

photographs the ambulance as it drives off. He photographs

the Policemen dispersing the crowd. He photographs his

Interrogator, who gladly poses for him.

Then he slings his camera over his shoulder, and strolls

away.

DISSOLVE TO:

CLOSE SHOT of Dora, smiling happily.

Her photograph is on the front page of a newspaper.

Above it is a caption: BRUTALLY MURDERED.

CAMERA PULLS BACK - to show sexy magazines alongside the

newspaper.

EXT. A NEWSAGENT'S SHOP - DAY

Mark is staring at a newspaper in the window of a small

newsagent's shop.

He glances distastefully at an array of film magazines -

showing actresses showing everything - then hurries into

the shop.

INT. NEWSAGENT'S SHOP - DAY

A plump, bald-headed Man stares at Mark.

MR. PETERS

You're late!

MARK:

Sorry, sir.

He turns towards a small door at the end of the shop.

MR. PETERS

(quietly)

Hold on, Mark.

Mark turns round.

Mr. Peters hesitates, drumming his fingers on the counter.

CLOSE SHOT of Mark. He starts to drum his fingers on a

shelf.

MR. PETERS

Mark... I've a question for you.

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